While Marvel Studios insists folks can go into Daredevil: Born Again blind (pardon the pun), let’s be real: any new Marvel Cinematic Universe outing comes with homework. With this in mind, here’s a round-up of all the MCU movies and TV shows to watch before Daredevil: Born Again‘s debut.
We’ve broken the following list into two tiers: must-watch and good-to-watch. Must-watch MCU entries contain key characters and plot points that will almost certainly feature in Born Again. Good-to-watch entries include Daredevil (or DD-centric) material that isn’t essential viewing, but may provide useful added context all the same.
Must-Watch MCU Movies & TV Shows Before Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil Seasons 1-3
If you watch nothing else before Daredevil: Born Again premieres on Disney+, watch the original Netflix Daredevil series. While Born Again isn’t Daredevil Season 4 per se, it is a continuation of the Netflix show. So, expect Born Again to reference the events depicted in Daredevil Seasons 1-3, at least obliquely. Similarly, key members of the Netflix cast – not just Charlie Cox (Matt Murdock/Daredevil) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin), but also Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page), Elden Henson (Foggy Nelson), Ayelet Zurer (Vanessa Marianna-Fisk), and Jon Bernthal (Frank Castle/The Punisher) – are back on deck, too. In short: Born Again will make a whole lot more sense if you’ve seen Daredevil.
The Defenders
It’s probably safe to skip most of the so-called “Defenders Saga” pre-Daredevil: Born Again. Unless Jessica Jones shows up (as is rumored), there’s not much in any of these interconnected shows that’s directly tied to Matt Murdock and his world. There is, however, one exception: you’ll probably want to check out The Defenders miniseries itself. The Man Without Fear and his one-time girlfriend Elektra Natchios are both central to the plot, and – spoilers for an eight-year-old show – the latter’s death is a defining moment in Daredevil’s arc. Plus, The Defenders‘ ending (and post-credits scene) set up Daredevil Season 3, so if nothing else, it makes revisiting that series easier.
Hawkeye
Full disclosure: technically, you only have to watch some of Hawkeye before Daredevil: Born Again. This 2021 Disney+ series is (as its name suggests) primarily focused on another MCU superhero, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, so its DD-related content levels are initially low. Indeed, one of the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante’s anti-hero associates, Maya Lopez/Echo, is the only nod to Daredevil lore for much of the show’s six-episode run. But things ramp up in Hawkeye‘s penultimate installment, which reintroduces Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin to MCU canon. The series finale then depicts a violent falling out between Maya and her “Uncle” Kingpin, laying the groundwork for 2024 spinoff Echo.
Echo
Echo‘s claim to fame is that its mid-credits scene sets up Daredevil: Born Again. The whole “Wilson Fisk running for mayor” storyline teased in the Born Again trailer? That’s got its roots in Echo. The 2024 miniseries also confirms several aspects of Fisk’s backstory from the Netflix Daredevil show – specifically, his troubled childhood – are still part of current MCU canon. Oh, and Daredevil himself briefly shows up in Echo Episode 1, establishing history between him and Maya Lopez that may or may not become a factor in Born Again Season 1.
Good-to-Watch MCU Movies & TV Shows Before Daredevil: Born Again
Spider-Man: No Way Home
2021 blockbuster Spider-Man: No Way Home gave us Matt Murdock’s first big screen MCU appearance. It’s a fun cameo that firmly cements the blind lawyer and his horn-headed alter-ego in the franchise’s core canon. That said, it doesn’t actually include any critical info for Daredevil: Born Again‘s story, unless Matt representing Peter Parker – an event wiped from everyone’s memory, including Matt’s! – somehow plays a big part in the Disney+ series (and showrunner Dario Scardapane recently told Total Film it won’t). So, No Way Home is in no way necessary for Born Again.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is another recent MCU production whose Daredevil guest appearance Born Again will more or less ignore. That’s according to the aforementioned comments by showrunner Dario Scardapane, who strongly hinted that Daredevil’s team-up with She-Hulk (and Matt Murdock’s romance with her human incarnation, Jennifer Walters) won’t be addressed in Born Again‘s first season. “You can say that Daredevil is canon in the MCU, those other events [in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk] happened,” he said. “But some of them we are not leaning into. His one-night stand with She-Hulk may be one of those things.” Still, She-Hulk‘s last two episodes are worth watching before Born Again if you want a complete picture of Daredevil‘s MCU arc.
Daredevil: Born Again debuts on Disney+ on March 4, 2025.